Frozen
by SivanShemesh
Summary: Walking on the thin ice, falling into the cold, one elfling must fight against the odds. Is there anyone who is capable of saving him? Written for Naked Yule Challenge
1. Chapter 1

Title: Frozen

Author: Sivan Shemesh

Beta: oli & Aranel

Rate: K+

Disclaimer: Not mine, but the plot.

Warning: Mention of naked, angst/drama/friendship. AU.

Summary: Walking on the thin ice, falling into the cold, one elfling must fight against the odds. Is there anyone who is capable of saving him?

A/N: Written for Naked Yule Challenge: _Write a Yule story featuring Legolas, Aragorn and Glorfindel. You may include other characters, but those three MUST be included. You MUST include a naked elf, a horse, snow, and someone's confession. You must also incorporate a real world Christmas image that can be adapted into a Middle-earth culture. For example: mistletoe, holly, Star, lighted tree, shepherds, Wiseman, mangers, little drummer boys, Yule songs, Yule logs, angels, etc. The rest is up to you! No slash please!_

A/N2: Don't kill me, though it felt like the story had a life of its own… run away

A/N3: Was supposed to be in Dec, but my computer crushed down and I lost my stories, and this one amongst them.

1.

**Mirkwood**

King Thranduil noticed the arrival of Lord Elrond and the boy as they came accompanied by his guards – under his orders, as he did not wish that any one of his guests met their deaths in his homeland.

He was surprised at Lord Glorfindel's absence but thought to ask about Glorfindel later – perhaps before they had settled in their rooms.

"Lord Elrond, Master Estel." Thranduil turned to greet the guests who had arrived for the Yule festivities.

"King Thranduil." Estel greeted the king in turn, while Lord Elrond only nodded with a grin on his face.

"I hope your journey went well," Thranduil said and then he decided to ask, "Where is Lord Glorfindel?"

"He was delayed at the borders; I hope he will arrive sometime soon." Elrond explained, noticing the curious way Thranduil had been looking at him.

It was no secret that Glorfindel was like a second Adar to Greenleaf, and Elrond believed that the Princeling might feel down at Yule, or at least until the Balrog Slayer arrived.

"What was the cause of his delay?" Thranduil asked, staring at his friend.

Estel watched the elves look at each other, and decided to answer the question, "It was the twins' fault."

Thranduil lowered his head, stared at the boy, and asked with curiosity, "And how was it the twins' fault?"

"T… They took Glorfy's horse and hid it somewhere else…" Estel replied with a grin upon his face.

"So, when Glorfindel finds his horse he will arrive here?" Thranduil asked and noticed Elrond's large smile.

"Not only that, mellon-nin, but he would deal with the twins first before he rides hard toward the Yule festivities." Elrond added.

"I would love to see this, though it will suffice to hear the tale from Glorfindel himself." Thranduil shared his thoughts with a chuckle.

"King Thranduil," Estel called, attracting the king's attention. "Where is Princeling Greenleaf?" he asked.

"He should be around playing with the birds or something." Thranduil replied.

"Why don't you go and find him, Estel? I am certain he would be pleased to know that you have arrived." Elrond said to the boy.

Estel nodded, and then he left, running off, searching with his hazel eyes to seek the whereabouts of his friend, but he could not find him. And now that he had run so much, every time he turned around he could not see his own footsteps and he could not find his way back to the festivities.

He was lost in Mirkwood.

The boy sighed heavily, and then stared towards the sky. He rubbed his eyes as he thought he saw an angel flying or gesturing at him with the wings it had.

"Who are you?" the boy shouted, but got no response.

The angel led him toward a frozen lake where Estel could see his friend laughing and sliding around it.

Estel looked up at the sky to thank the angel for helping him but saw nothing. Perhaps it was an illusion after all.

"Legolas!" Estel called, hoping to catch his friend's attention.

Legolas heard his friend and turned, walking towards him. He did not notice the crack under his feet till he fell into the freezing water.

"LEGOLAS!" Estel shouted, feeling the cold air flood his lungs and pierce his bones.

He knew that he should do something but he did not know of what to do. Seeing his friend fall through the ice was more than he could bear. He wanted to try to save him but he feared to walk upon the frozen lake.

The boy sighed again, determined to save his friend. He started to move his feet onto the thin ice.

"Step back, Estel." A voice commanded.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Beta: Aranel

2.

Estel was shaking from the cold. He turned around and noticed an elf riding on a horse, but he could not see his face. His eyes were hurting as if daggers were slicing through them, and tears were falling down his cold cheeks.

"Who are you?" Estel asked through the tears.

"Estel, do not play games with me. I am glad that I came at the right moment," the elf told him, and then added, "Mount up on my horse, Estel. You wanted help for the Princeling, so we had better aid him before he freezes himself to Mandos."

"Who are you?" Estel asked again, still not recognizing the elf.

"Who do you think I am?" the elf asked him.

"You look like an angel, the same one that helped me to find the right way to my friend." the boy replied.

The elf sighed heavily and wondered what was going through the boy's mind. In the first place, why was he all alone in the cold like the Princeling?

"Get on the horse, Estel, and follow the star; it will lead you to the Yule festivities." The elf told him, hoping that the boy would listen to his words.

He sighed in relief as he noticed that the boy walked towards his horse. He helped Estel to mount, and then he turned the horse's head toward the right path, and said a single word, "Thranduil."

The horse complied, and started trotting off slowly.

The elf looked from the lake, almost amazed that the boy kept looking at the sky, looking at the shining star, while the horse walked on, and then disappeared into the shadows.

He sighed heavily as he turned around, stepping as slowly as he could so the ice would not crack. He certainly didn't want the same thing to happen to him while trying to rescue the Princeling whom he hoped had not been completely frozen in the water.

He noticed the black hole which he assumed was the place where Legolas had fallen; he leant onto the ice, and moved his hands blindly in the icy water, trying to find him.

The elf continued to move his hands while his eyes sought in the dark for the elfling, but when all he could see and feel was ice-cold water, he almost gave up.

He leant farther, almost letting his entire body sink within the dark hole, seeking for the elfling.

Then he felt his hands grab something heavy, and he did not let go, just in case it was the Princeling. He certainly did not wish to let him fall back in the icy water.

"Do not dare, Princeling Greenleaf, to drop back into this icy water," the elf sighed and added in a teasing voice, "I did not come all the way from Imladris, only to see you freeze and die before my eyes. Your Adar would send me to Mordor personally if something happened to you."

And yet, no movement came from the elfling.

The elf carried the elfling over to safe ground away from the frozen lake, and started to undress him. The soaked clothes felt like a covering of ice, and he quickly went over to his supplies, and retrieved the blankets that he had brought just in case of an emergency. He was glad that he did it because it might now save the Princeling's life.

He covered the elfling with two blankets, but he knew that he was still going to need Lord Elrond's help.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Beta: Aranel

3.

Estel was on his way to the festivities, though the white snow confused him about where the right path was.

He looked toward the sky; the sun was still blinding even as the cold brought shivers to his little body.

"Ada… I need to find Adar…" the boy mumbled, shaking as the cold pierced through his body.

The last thing that Estel thought of was the way the angel elf pulled Legolas out of the icy water hole.

* * *

This was not what the elf needed, he knew it, but knowing that he had nothing else that he could do, he started to talk to the unresponsive elfling, hoping that at least Princeling Legolas could hear him.

Glorfindel stared at the princeling, and started to speak to him, trying to ease his own fear and anxiety.

"Have I ever told you how I met your Adar?" Glorfindel asked as he tried to do something, finally deciding thinking that maybe a warm tale would help.

He rubbed his golden hair, letting the snow that had gathered in his hair fall down to the white pillow on the ground.

"It all started when I took a path toward Greenwood with Lord Elrond.

"The first meeting was not pleased at all, you see, Princeling, it was a time when the darkness filled your kingdom, when your nana died, murdered by orcs that Sauron sent in the hope that Thranduil would give up his crown and his land, but your Adar did not do it even though his wife was murdered before his very eyes.

"Do you know why? Because of you; when you smiled, when you were around, you gave him hope, you are everything to your father…

"Now, where was I?

"Oh… we helped then, buried your nana and then we talked with him, helped him with the grief he was sinking into." Glorfindel sighed, as he took a deep glance toward the Princeling, feeling how his own heart raced as he grew more concerned about Legolas.

He could see how his lips were as blue as the great sea, and he wished he could do something about it though he knew that he was not a healer like Elrond. He hoped that Estel would be back soon for Legolas' life depended on it.

* * *

"I feel a presence coming closer and yet not slowing." Thranduil told his friend, his eyes set upon the forest, waiting to see who it was.

"I can feel it too, and a voice tells me that I should go and bring my herbs bag from the saddle and do it fast, as, if it is Estel, I must be prepared for anything." Thranduil could hear his friend's teasing tone at the last part, and he could not stop himself from chuckling.

As soon as a horse was in sight and they could see someone holding tightly onto it, Elrond, having noticed who was on the horse, felt his heart stop.

"Estel…" the lord mumbled, and hurried to stop the horse, quickly catching the boy and preventing him from falling hard onto the ground.

The boy was soon out of cold, but he could not answer the questions everyone threw at him. "Where is Princeling Legolas? Why are you on Glorfindel's horse in the first place? Where is Glorfindel?"

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

For Disclaimer and Summary checked in previous chapters.

Beta: Aranel

* * *

4.

"He is out." Elrond said as he cradled the boy in his arms, knowing that he could do nothing till Estel felt better – and only then would they receive any answer.

"You'd better get the boy inside the palace. It is warmer there and that will do him some good," Thranduil suggested as he noticed how the boy's face seemed paler. The boy was shivering in the elf-lord's arms.

"Yes, we had better. I do not wish him any worse than he already is, and the snow is not helping at all," Elrond agreed, following his long-time friend toward the palace.

* * *

It had been half the day and the king was worried.

Thranduil could feel his nervousness show itself, and yet he tried to stay calm as he was having guests over.

He paced back and forth with worry that marked his face.

Galdor noticed it, and he saw the other elves staring at the king, not knowing what was going on nor where was the little elf that brought the smile to their faces.

They knew that something was amiss, but they could not figure out what.

The guard walked toward the king, but before he could ask anything, the king spoke first, "What is it, Galdor?"

"The guards and I were wondering where your son is. We miss hearing his voice and having his playful antics around us," Galdor replied and then he added, "Is something wrong, my king?"

"I do not know, my friend, but my heart aches for my son. I fear that he might be in grave danger and yet I have no idea where he is nor if there is anyone watching over him. I do not want him to be alone, not in the cold, not without me," Thranduil replied and sighed heavily.

Galdor wanted nothing more than to ease the king's anxiety. "I could arrange for search teams, if that might help to ease the burden in your heart, my king," he suggested.

Thranduil smiled, and Galdor could see the sparkle of life returning to his king's eyes.

"Make it happen and let me know whatever you find," Thranduil told him, clapping him on the shoulder.

Galdor bowed and left, his mind racing for ideas. He hoped that he could find the king's precious elfling. As the teams made ready, Galdor sighed. His best chance at finding the elfling was to know the direction from which the boy had come riding.

"We are ready my king," Galdor said and then continued, "Do you remember which way the boy had come riding fast?"

Thranduil nodded, muttering a word of thanks to the Valar. "There, beyond the trees," he directed the guards.

Galdor nodded, mounted his steed and took the lead.

* * *

Back inside the caves, in the healing room, the boy lay shivering in the bed, even though covered with countless layers of blankets.

Elrond was keeping the boy warm, but the child was getting far too hot – and yet he was shivering. Still, he knew that it could have been worse. This was not the first time, and part of him feared that it could be the last.

End of Chapter 4.


End file.
